Athletic jersey

ABSTRACT

An article of clothing, preferably an athletic jersey, having a front panel and a back panel. The front panel has identifying indicia from one member of a group comprising a plurality of members. The back panel has identifying indicia from another member of the group. A neck opening and first and second sleeve openings are formed in the article of clothing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

None.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Reversible athletic garments are well known in the art. One such common athletic garment has different colors on the inside and outside and are useful in practicing teams sports, wherein one team is designated one color of the garment (e.g., the inside color of the garment) and the other team is designated another color of the garment (e.g., the outside of the garment). Attempts have also been made to make athletic garments reversible without the need to remove the garment or lift it over the wearer's head. Examples include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,078,265, 4,277,848, 4,296,498 and 4,453,274.

Recently, a sports jacket of reversible construction for displaying alternate team and player affiliations has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,066. In this disclosure, different sports team logos or names of players are on both the inner and outer surfaces of the jacket. The jacket may be reversed to reveal a different team or a different player's name or number.

None of the prior athletic garments allow a wearer to display two (or more) sports team logos or players names (and numbers) at the same time. Further, none of the prior athletic garments are readily detachable two-piece garments (e.g., comprising front and back panels), which allow a wearer to easily change team or player affiliations. The present invention is an improved article of clothing, preferably an athletic garment or jersey that solves these and other problems.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention there is provided an article of clothing comprising a front and back panel joined together at seams to form the article of clothing. A first neck opening is formed in the article of clothing. First and second sleeve openings are also formed in the article of clothing. The front panel includes identifying indicia from one member of a group comprising a plurality of members (e.g., one sports team or player). The back panel includes identifying indicia from another member of the group (e.g., another sports team or player).

In another aspect of the invention there is provided an article of clothing comprising a front and back panel removeably connected to form the article of clothing. The front and back panels can be removeably attached by buttons, snaps, a plurality of hook and loop fasteners (e.g., Velcro fasteners), a renewable adhesive, or any other suitable fastening means. A first neck opening is formed in the article of clothing. First and second sleeve openings are also formed in the article of clothing. The front panel includes identifying indicia from one member of a group comprising a plurality of members (e.g., one sports team or player). The back panel includes identifying indicia from another member of the group (e.g., another sports team or player).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an article of clothing according to the present invention, wherein the front panel displays a first identifying indicia represented by the letter A.

FIG. 2 illustrates the article of clothing illustrated in FIG. 1 wherein the front panel and back panel have been reversed, the front panel now displaying a second identifying idicia represented by the letter B.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the article of clothing illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 showing the front panel having first identifying indicia, A, removed from the back panel having second identifying indicia, B.

FIG. 4 illustrates a preferred embodiment for removeably attaching the front panel of the article of clothing to the back panel.

FIG. 5 illustrates another preferred embodiment for removeably attaching the front panel of the article of clothing to the back panel.

FIG. 6 illustrates yet another preferred embodiment for removeably attaching the front panel of the article of clothing to the back panel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the present invention is directed to an article of clothing 10 having a front panel 12, a back panel 14 (but not shown in FIG. 1), a neck opening 16 and first and second arm openings 18,20. The front panel 12 has identifying indicia 22, represented in FIGS. 1 and 3 as “Indicia A.”. Preferably, the identifying indicia 22 represents one member of a group comprising a plurality of members. The back panel 14 also has identifying indicia 24, represented in FIG. 3 as “INDICIA B”. Preferably, the identifying indicia 24 on the back panel 14 represents a another member of the group comprising a plurality of members. The front panel 12 and back panel 14 are joined together to form the article of clothing 10. The front and back panels 12,14 can be permanently joined together at the seams, or the panels can be removeably attached to one another.

In either embodiment, the article of clothing 10, preferably an athletic jersey (e.g., a basketball jersey, football jersey, baseball jersey or hockey jersey), is reversible. That is, the wearer of the jersey 10 can remove the jersey 10 and put the jersey 10 on with the back panel 14 now becoming the front panel 12. FIG. 2 illustrates this aspect of the invention. By reversing the jersey 10, identifying indicia 24 (i.e., “INDICIA B”) is now displayed on the front of the jersey, while identifying indicia 22 (i.e., “Indicia A”) is now displayed on the back of the jersey.

The present invention is of particular interest to fans of different sports teams. Thus, in a preferred embodiment the identifying indicia 22, 24 represents professional sports teams, and particularly football teams belonging to the National Football League, or baseball teams belonging to Major League Baseball, or basketball teams belonging to the National Basketball Association, or hockey teams belonging to the National Hockey League, or soccer teams or even rugby teams. The identifying indicia 22, 24 can be either a team name or logo.

In one embodiment of the present invention where the identifying indicia 22, 24 represents teams from the National Basketball Association, the teams or members include the: Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Wizards, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Hornets, Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings and Seattle SuperSonics.

In another embodiment of the present invention where the identifying indicia 22, 24 represents teams from the National Football League, the teams or members include the: Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Pittsbugh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Redskins.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention where the identifying indicia 22, 24 represents teams from the National Hockey League, the teams or members include: New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Atlanta Thrashers, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Vancouver Canucks, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes and San Jose Sharks.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention where the identifying indicia 22, 24 represents teams from Major League Baseball, the teams or members include: Anaheim Angels, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Montreal Expos, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals.

The present invention is also of particular interest to fans of college sports teams around the country. Thus, the identifying indicia 22, 24 could represent a member or team belonging to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (“NCAA”), or more particularly a team or member from a specific conference belonging to the NCAA. For example the identifying indicia 22, 24 could represent a team or member of one of the following NCAA athletic conferences: Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12, Big East, Big 10, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West, Pacific 10, Southeastern, Sun Belt, Western Athletic, Atlantic 10, Big Sky, Gateway, Ivy League, Mid-Atlantic, Mid-Eastern, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot League, Pioneer, Southern, Southland and Southwestern.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the identifying indicia 22, 24 represents a particular player of a sports teams. That is, players names or numbers may be used as well as team names and logos. The identifying indicia 22, 24 could be any one of a team name, team logo, player name, or player number in any combination. For example, a Chicago sports fan could have a jersey with the Chicago Cubs team name and team logo as identifying indicia 22 on the front panel 12 of the jersey 10 and the Chicago Bears team name and team logo as identifying indicia 24 on the back panel 14 of the jersey. Or the fan could have a jersey 10 according to the present invention with the Chicago Cubs team name and team logo on the front panel 12 and the Chicago White Sox team name and team logo on the back panel 14.

With reference now to FIGS. 4-6, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the front panel 12 of the garment is removeably attached to the back panel 14. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a plurality of hook and loop fasteners 30 are provided at the seam running downwardly from the arm openings 18, 20 and also at the seam provided between the arm openings 18, 20 and the neck opening 16. In another embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the front panel 12 is removeably attached to the back panel 14 by a plurality of buttons 32 and slot-like openings 34. Finally the removeable attachment between the front and back panel 12, 14 of the garment 10 can be accomplished by using conventional snaps 36 as shown in FIG. 6. In this preferred embodiment, the wearer of the jersey 10 can collect different panels 12, 14 having different identifying indicia and mix and match the panels 12, 14 depending on particular circumstances, e.g., when one team is playing another team.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use. While the present invention has been described in one or more preferred embodiments referring to sports teams or players, the present invention is just as applicable to any group comprising a plurality of members (e.g. individual states making up the United States of America, members of a political party, etc.). Thus, because such applications will readily occur to those of skill in the art, the present invention is not limited to its preferred embodiments. 

1. An article of clothing comprising: a front and back panel joined together at seams to form the article of clothing; a first neck opening in the article of clothing; first and second sleeve openings in the article of clothing; the front panel having identifying indicia from one member of a group comprising a plurality of members; and the back panel having identifying indicia from another member of the group.
 2. The article of clothing of claim 1, wherein the article of clothing is an athletic jersey.
 3. The article of clothing of claim 2, wherein the athletic jersey is a basketball jersey.
 4. The article of clothing of claim 2, wherein the athletic jersey is a football jersey.
 5. The article of clothing of claim 2, wherein the athletic jersey is a hockey jersey.
 6. The article of clothing of claim 2, wherein the athletic jersey is a baseball jersey.
 7. The article of clothing of claim 1, wherein the group is comprised of basketball teams belonging to the National Basketball Association.
 8. The article of clothing of claim 1, wherein the group is comprised of football teams belonging to the National Football Association.
 9. The article of clothing of claim 1, wherein the group is comprised of hockey teams belonging to the National Hockey League.
 10. The article of clothing of claim 1, wherein the group is comprised of baseball teams belonging to Major League Baseball.
 11. The article of clothing of claim 7, wherein the plurality of members comprise: Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Wizards, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Hornets, Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings and Seattle SuperSonics.
 12. The article of clothing of claim 8, wherein the plurality of members comprise: Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Pittsbugh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Redskins.
 13. The article of clothing of claim 9, wherein the plurality of members comprise: New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Atlanta Thrashers, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Vancouver Canucks, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes and San Jose Sharks.
 14. The article of clothing of claim 10, wherein the plurality of members comprise: Anaheim Angels, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Montreal Expos, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals.
 15. An article of clothing comprising: a front panel removably attached to a back panel to form the article of clothing; a first neck opening formed in the article of clothing; first and second sleeve openings formed in the article of clothing; the front panel having identifying indicia from one member of a group comprising a plurality of members; and the back panel having identifying indicia from another member of the group.
 16. The article of clothing of claim 15, wherein the front panel is removeably attached to the back panel by buttons.
 17. The article of clothing of claim 15, wherein the front panel is removeably attached to the back panel by snaps.
 18. The article of clothing of claim 15, wherein the front panel is removably attached to the back panel by a plurality of hook and loop fasteners.
 19. The article of clothing of claim 15, wherein the article of clothing is an athletic jersey.
 20. The article of clothing of claim 15, wherein the athletic jersey is a basketball jersey.
 21. The article of clothing of claim 15, wherein the athletic jersey is a football jersey.
 22. The article of clothing of claim 15, wherein the athletic jersey is a hockey jersey.
 23. The article of clothing of claim 15, wherein the athletic jersey is a baseball jersey.
 24. The article of clothing of claim 15, wherein the group is comprised of basketball teams belonging to the National Basketball Association.
 25. The article of clothing of claim 15, wherein the group is comprised of football teams belonging to the National Football Association.
 26. The article of clothing of claim 15, wherein the group is comprised of hockey teams belonging to the National Hockey League.
 27. The article of clothing of claim 15, wherein the group is comprised of baseball teams belonging to Major League Baseball.
 28. The article of clothing of claim 24, wherein the plurality of members comprise: Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Wizards, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Hornets, Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings and Seattle SuperSonics.
 29. The article of clothing of claim 25, wherein the plurality of members comprise: Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Pittsbugh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Redskins.
 30. The article of clothing of claim 26, wherein the plurality of members comprise: New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Atlanta Thrashers, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Vancouver Canucks, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes and San Jose Sharks.
 31. The article of clothing of claim 27, wherein the plurality of members comprise: Anaheim Angels, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Montreal Expos, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals.
 32. The article of clothing of claim 1, wherein the members of the group belong to the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
 33. The article of clothing of claim 32, wherein the members of the group belong to one the following athletic conferences: Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12, Big East, Big 10, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West, Pacific 10, Southeastern, Sun Belt and Western Athletic.
 34. The article of clothing of claim 32, wherein the members of the group belong to one of the following athletic conferences: Atlantic 10, Big Sky, Gateway, Ivy League, Mid-Atlantic, Mid-Eastern, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot League, Pioneer, Southern, Southland and Southwestern.
 35. The article of clothing of claim 15, wherein the members of the group belong to the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
 36. The article of clothing of claim 35, wherein the members of the group belong to one the following athletic conferences: Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12, Big East, Big 10, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West, Pacific 10, Southeastern, Sun Belt and Western Athletic.
 37. The article of clothing of claim 35, wherein the members of the group belong to one of the following athletic conferences: Atlantic 10, Big Sky, Gateway, Ivy League, Mid-Atlantic, Mid-Eastern, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot League, Pioneer, Southern, Southland and Southwestern.
 38. An athletic jersey having a front surface and a back surface, each of the front and back surfaces having indicia to identify a sports team, the indicia on the front surface identifying a different sports team than the indicia on the back surface.
 39. An athletic jersey having a front surface and a back surface, each of the front and back surfaces having indicia to identify a sports player, the indicia on the front surface identifying a different sports player than the indicia on the back surface. 